Computer users are able to access and share vast amounts of information through various local and wide area computer networks including proprietary networks as well as public networks such as the Internet. Typically, a web browser installed on a user's computing device facilitates access to and interaction with information located at various network servers identified by, for example, associated uniform resource locators (URLs).
In particular, over the past several years, the amount of personal information that individuals share online has increased dramatically. Many websites provide an online community that provides content focusing on a common interest or theme (e.g., a “fan site” for a television program or musical artist), and allows people to join the online community and share personal information with other members of the online community.
Conventional approaches to enable sharing of user-generated content include various information sharing technologies or platforms such as social networking websites. Such websites may include, be linked with, or provide a platform for applications enabling users to view “profile” pages created or customized by other users where visibility and interaction with such profiles by other users is governed by some characteristic set of rules. By way of example, a user profile may include such user-declared information as contact information (e.g., physical and email addresses, telephone numbers, instant messaging nicknames, etc.), background information, job/career information, as well as personal interests. Operators of online social networking sites typically require that new members provide certain personal information to join, including contact information and identifying information (e.g. a name, location, age, etc.).
Typically, members of an online social network communicate with one another and meet other members based on personal information captured in the other member profiles. Also, members of online social networks often request their existing friends to join, creating a web of online relationships that mirror offline ones. A positive consequence of this general trend is the greater ability for groups of friends, families and other acquaintances to communicate online with, and about, each other as members of a social network. For example, a group of friends may share personal information with each other about common interests, individual personal attributes, events, schedules and activity plans and may also access each others' personal information. Another benefit of online social networks is that members can more easily find others who share common interests, goals, lifestyles, etc., without being limited to an online community dedicated to a particular interest. Doing so allows members to expand their social networks.
Social networking websites typically provide mechanisms (referred to as channels) for members to communicate with each other, e.g., emails, invitations, notifications, newsfeeds etc. Social networking applications typically make use of the various channels to provide useful features to the members, such as sending out emails about the member's activities, displaying a newsfeed to the member's friends, and so forth.
Some social network websites provide application developers with the ability to create applications that extend the functionality of the social networking website to provide new ways for users to interact with each other. For example, an application may provide an interesting way for a member (also called user of the social networking website) to communicate with his friends, or allow users to participate in multi-player games, or collect some interesting information such as news related to a specific topic and display it to the member periodically; another application may provide a “newsfeed” about the activities of the member to that member's friends.